Testimonials – Tiny Bernedoodles

Woof (Parents: Zoey x Stitch)
Owners: The Castles
Queenstown, NB

“It’s hard to believe but our pup is weeks away from celebrating her first year (born 2013). Woof has had a great year with us as we’ve had with her. She is an exceptional dog in every way. She adores and loves everyone she meets and they adore her. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve handed out the address for your website to people who see her and want to know how to adopt one. From the day we got her in early October, she has been a joy to have. She’s incredibly bright and cheerful. She has the run of three acres on our property and loves to run and swim. She’s not so crazy about the cows next door, but otherwise welcomes all animals to the property. The picture I have sent you is Woof with her constant companion Smudge. We got the kitten at the same time we got Woof. They are inseparable. They play and explore together and sleep together. She loves her groomer and is wild about her vet. She sailed through her neutering with flying colors and looks forward to her monthly appointments. I can’t thank you enough for delivering us such an amazing dog. We’re in love.” ~Paul Castle

One photo is fairly typical: Woof wrestling with Smudge the cat. The cat is usually the instigator. In another picture she was about 4 months old at the time. She wouldn’t sleep in the crate unless Smudge slept with her.

Piper (Parents: Kia x Pickle)
Owners: The Harrises
Tustin, CA

“We just wanted to reach out and let you know how amazing Piper is. We have almost had her a whole year now (born May 24, 2013) – and we couldn’t imagine a day without her. She adds so much to our day to day family life. My kids (ages 12 & 10) adore her and are always rolling around on the floor with her. She is so attentive to their needs always. She can play rough with my son when he is wanting to play rough and tumble with her. And Piper can be the best lap dog around as well. She seems to know what the vibe is in the house at all times. It really is amazing. Her temperament couldn’t be better for us. With this being our first dog, we were a little worried about not having a say at what puppy we got. But as everyone told us – Sherry knows best. You truly do, Sherry!

Piper has fit into our crazy hectic lifestyle. She loves her car rides around for carpool and her plane rides out to our vacation house with us. She loves to swim, run, jump, and chase just about anything.

Piper is a tiny bernedoodle and has definitely showed us the larger side of the tiny breed. She is 26 lbs. at 1 year old. She has very long legs, a beautiful coat, and the cutest little underbite. She has been extremely healthy, eats like a champ, never sheds, and is very smart. There isn’t anything more we could ask for. We love our Piper Sierra! Thanks, Sherry!” ~Megan Harris

Gibbs (Parents: Kia x Pickle)
Owners: The Murphys
Salem, MA

“Being the proud pack leader of three bernedoodles, I can honestly say that I am not sure if I will ever adopt another family member from anyone but Sherry Rupke and her team at SwissRidge Kennels.

We sent in our first adoption form over 4 years ago when I fell in LOVE with a tri-color puppy on the SwissRidge website. I had my heart set on a puppy just like the one I saw in the picture. I stalked the SwissRidge website day after day. I will never forget the day Sherry called me out of the blue. Sherry said, ‘I have a puppy, but he’s not tri-color.’ She sent me a picture and the whole family fell in love with him. We didn’t need a tri-color pup. We needed this black standard bernedoodle with a white cross on his chest, and a tan swirl over his eyes!

From that day on, we knew this pup we named Raglan was going to be a wonderful addition to our growing family. He was an adorable pup, full of energy, dedication, and spunk. We loved him so much that we knew we had room for another. Our youngest daughter wanted a doodle she could bond with, something smaller, so the following Christmas Santa left a dog crate filled with toys with a note saying we were on the list for a mini bernedoodle. Sula was born the next month and our pack was growing! Sula added a new energy to our pack. She was a playful pup who tested any and all limits she was given. With the help of a local trainer, and a quick education in being the leader of my pack, Raglan and Sula were a dream come true.

Now that we had a mini and a standard bernedoodle, my love for SwissRidge doodles continued to grow, I hinted around that one more pup would complete our pack. A tiny bernedoodle would make our family complete. I never considered myself to be a small dog person, but there was something about these tiny pups that turned me around. My husband must be as crazy as I am because he contacted Sherry on his own and wanted to surprise me with my third bernedoodle for my birthday!

Raglan was from the litter of Chantelle, an Apricot standard poodle, and Dominique, a handsome Bernese mountain dog. Raglan is a wonderful pup but he did take some time and effort to get him that way. I’d say that was our fault though. Even though I read the books and studied the puppy handbook, I still made some mistakes. Luckily with the support of a great trainer, I realized what I was doing wrong. Raglan is a wonderful companion and family member. He walks down the street like he is a Clydesdale horse and if one of his pack members breaks away from the pack he does not stand down until they return. He is loyal, loving, and with his long legged stature and winning personality, he is the best of all worlds. Raglan will be four in June 2014.

Sula is a mini doodle from Juno, a Bernese mountain dog, and Eddie, a poodle, born January 2, 2012. She is a total love and attention hound. Throughout my day I always have the feeling that sometimes I am being watched. As I take a glance around, Sula’s eyes are directly focused on me. If I leave the house she will assume her position in the front bay window and wait for my return. Sula loves everything and everyone. She always wants to know what is going on. Whether you are driving a car, sitting on the couch, or yes, even sitting at the kitchen counter, Sula is right by your side. She is very vocal and opinionated and will express her opinion any chance she gets! We only wish we knew what she was trying to say.

Gibbs is a tiny bernedoodle from the litter of Kia and Pickle, born May 24, 2013. He is as smart as he is adorable. When I brought Gibbs in for his first vet appointment, the first thing the vet said is, ‘He is stink’in cute.’ Gibbs can keep up with the big dogs, but can also be a sweet cuddly lap dog at the drop of a dime. Never having a small dog before (Gibbs weighs 15 pounds at 11 months), we decided to fly from Boston to California with Gibbs in a carry-on bag not knowing what to expect. With a five hour flight ahead of us, we were prepared for anything and everything! Let’s just say we were over-prepared. Gibbs was unbelievable! He cuddled up in a ball in his special travel bag and didn’t bark or whimper during the entire flight! I was truly amazed at how well he adjusted to this new adventure.

You may ask, ‘Why am I telling you all this?’ Well, the reason is because there is something so special about the puppies that Sherry and her SwissRidge Team create. We knew Sherry was special the first time we emailed her. We knew she and her pups were worth every penny we would spend on them. Once you make the commitment to Sherry and her pups, you will never look back, or wonder if you made the right choice. And then, when you hold your precious treasure in your arms for the very first time, you will not be able to control that warm and fuzzy feeling that will run through your entire body. The testing, the care, the follow-through, and most importantly her love for her job are just some of the reasons why Sherry Rupke is the very best Breeder of the Pack.” ~M. Murphy

Hendrix (Parents: Zoey x Stitch)
Owners: The Williamses
Los Angeles, CA

Meet Hendrix. He is a tiny bernedoodle owned by the Williams family. Born August 13, 2013.

Lisa says: “I just wanted to say, if anyone is thinking of getting a Bernedoodle, they better be prepared for a lifestyle change and having their lives, as they know it, altered, because having this beautiful, happy, funny puppy in our home – well, it’s hard to get anything done! It’s impossible to ignore him while doing homework, or get ready for school in the morning without playing with him, or go to bed without playing with him, and I have a hard time being productive myself! So, the kids need to get up earlier and go to bed earlier to have their Hendrix time – but he’s worth it! Hendrix was born 8-13-13 and his parents are Zoey x Stitch. He has SO much personality.

He is spunky, playful, and very smart, yet he is also incredibly cuddly and sweet. He is a dog you can wrestle on the ground with, but will also sit in your lap and cuddle. He LOVES my other dogs and has found his place right in the middle…he respects my 75 pound German Shepherd, Stella, as top dog, but has put my 90 pound Goldendoodle, Woody, in his place – bottom of the pack! But Woody is very submissive and fine with that. Despite only being 25 pounds at 6 1/2 months, he plays – and plays hard – with both Stella and Woody. I was on the fence about getting a tiny Bernedoodle, as I have always been a big-dog person; however, since I already have two big dogs, I felt it was best to get a tiny, and I have to say, I really love his size. He looks bigger than he weighs because of all his hair, and he is easier to travel with. I have taken Hendrix on trips with the family when he was around 3 months old and could still go in a carrier under the seat of the airplane, and he was perfect on every flight, sleeping the entire way.

Hendrix recently came with the family to California to attend my daughter’s horse show for 4 days. He mingled with many unfamiliar dogs, was all around the horses, rode around in the golf cart, stayed in the hotel with us, and he received many compliments about how well behaved he is and how adorable he is. The most difficult thing about Hendrix is when he does do something naughty, it is SO hard to punish him because he is so darn cute, and, when he gets in trouble, he is REALLY remorseful and you can tell he feels really, really bad! He has a way of making YOU feel guilty! I could go on and on, but I really couldn’t ask for a better dog. It seems like he has been part of our family forever, and it is hard to believe it’s only been 5 months, because we cannot imagine our lives without him.

Thank you for producing such a wonderful, fun breed, and bringing so much joy and love into not only our lives, but everyone else who has the privilege of owning one of your dogs. I know that there will be another Bernedoodle in my future. I just can’t decide which size, because I love them all!” ~Lisa Williams

Paco (Parents: Kia x Pickle)
Owners: The Douglases
Vancouver, BC

Meet Paco. He is a tiny bernedoodle out of Kia and Pickle’s litter. He is owned by the Douglas family. Marsha says: “Paco is a Tiny Bernedoodle who has been with us for only two weeks and we are already more than madly in love with him. Thanks to the people at SwissRidge Kennels, we brought him home with more than enough information to incorporate him into our lives. Sherry gave us a lot of information in person at the pick up and backed us up with everything written out in our puppy package.

Before getting Paco it was a long and fretful wait, wondering what kind of pup we would get. We knew we would not be disappointed as we had a friend with a SwissRidge standard Bernedoodle. We had our doubts and discussions as we are retired and thought we would not ever get a dog again. Having always had a dog in the house or two and a cat, we missed having one. Soooooo…..we decided if it was a puppy for us once more, it had to be a top-notch puppy as we are always on the move between three homes in three different countries. We are thinking we hit the jackpot with Paco.

He has met several new people with the waggiest of little tails for everyone. He sleeps through the night with us waking him up as per Sherry’s crate-training schedule. He is learning simple commands already. He is still not on the loose as we are keeping him safe until he gets all of his shots. We are learning what works and trying to be consistent. This puppy is proving to be very adaptable. He does have his moments, but so far time-outs have proven to settle him down. In two weeks, he meets the grandchildren. We are sure they will be lifelong pals for Paco.” ~Marsha Douglas

Bärli (Parents: Harley x Pickle)
Owners: The Coupals
Calgary, AB

“Bärli plays the role of dog, sibling and stuffed animal in our home. By day she is quiet and relaxed at home with me, but when it’s playtime with her human brothers or the other dogs at the park, she knows how to ramp it up and play. We have younger children and my youngest has turned Bärli into his favorite playmate. She is the obliging passenger on the imaginary bus, comes along for the ride on the kayak and will play fetch or chase whenever the boys ask her to. When quiet time comes along she’ll snuggle beside my eldest while he reads. She loves to join us for great long hikes and, despite being a tiny, will keep up with us and walk the distance. In the summer, she loves the water and will play on the beach or swim in the lake. She is the perfect balance of quiet home dog and fun, playful, energetic dog, and can turn both on/off depending on the situation. She’s a great listener and an eager student, she’s been a pleasure to train. At puppy daycare she always finds a best friend to snuggle with, but will get right in and play with the others regardless of size. Her best friend is a large dog five times her weight. Bärli has been a great addition to our family.” ~Julia Coupal

Julia and her family loved Bärli so much that they added a second tiny bernedoodle named Basil. Both of these puppies have had training by our in-house trainer, Lucas.

Bella (Parents: Kia x Pickle)
Owner: Lorraine Aylsworth
Ontario, Canada

“Bella is my dedicated companion and she shares everything, every day and everywhere. Bella loves neighborhood walks, hiking, Frisbee, a good game of fetch, and swimming.  She is so personable with everyone of all ages. She visits with me in an extend-a-care facility and just seems to sense when she needs to be gentle. It is difficult to have a walk without being stopped on the street to be told how cute she is. Bella house-trained very quickly and easily learned obedience commands. She has a very high energy level but that affords her the ability to enjoy the active lifestyle that we lead. She is never far from her owner and enjoys car rides, vacationing or just hanging out. Bella gets professionally groomed about every five weeks to prevent matting and then only requires a quick daily brushing. It also makes it easier when she spends a great deal of time outside hiking, swimming and playing in the snow. She does not shed with the exception of some hair in the brush when she is groomed. Bella has experienced zero health issues. She has so many goofy facial expressions and mannerisms that just make you happy all the time.” ~Lorraine Aylsworth

Brittany (Parents: Zoey x Loki)
Owners: The Kaplans
Elgin, IL

“Brittany is the sweetest and most lovable pup. She loves to snuggle and follows me everywhere. We love our little fur ball. My hubby never thought he would want a smaller pup but Brittany has stolen his heart, too. She’s the perfect little sister for our Bailey (also from SwissRidge). She gets along great with children. Thank you, Sherry, for making our family complete!” ~Linda Kaplan

Chanel (Parents: Kia x Crumpet)
Owners: The Fischers
Oakville, ON

“This little beauty stole our hearts from the moment we saw her. She is so precious! Although we were anxious to get her home, we decided it would be best for us to leave her for four weeks of imprinting. I am so thankful we did! The imprinter did an amazing job of establishing her crate-training schedule (sleeping six hours from night one at home) and got her basic commands up and running! Chanel knows her name, ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘watch me.’ We have been working on ‘leave it,’ ‘off’ and walking on a leash.

She has the most luxurious, velvety coat; you can’t help but scoop her up to cuddle her. Her markings are absolutely perfection and I still can’t decide if it’s her eyebrows, the little white patch on her chin, or her soft and gentle paws that I love most! She adores her toys and is already starting to play fetch. She is very curious about the world around her, taking every opportunity to chase butterflies, watch the birds, or sit and observe cars and people passing by. She is such a delight!” ~Janine Fischer

Fenway (Parents: Kia x Loki)
Owners: The Paquettes
Burlington, ON

“Let me start with our SwissRidge experience…after ‘stalking’ the SwissRidge Facebook page for over a year, we decided to put our deposit down. We had never before seen a breeder so well loved, respected and trusted. Nor an entrepreneur willing to be so open and honest as to let a social media community of thousands discuss the good, the bad, the great, the ugly about their SwissRidge dogs. The forum of support that Sherry had created and allowed to flow for the benefit of her clients was simply amazing to us.

It came as no shock then that Sherry was equally as open about the quality and expectations of both her breeding dogs and herself, providing easy access to all of the relevant health tests for each breeding dog as well as a clearly cared for kennel/breeding facility.

Our family decided that a dog from Sherry was worth the investment, especially since we were looking for a lifetime family member. That decided…deposit in ….the wait began ….but WHAT?? We don’t get to pick our dog from the litter available to us? This is crazy talk!! AND we have to drool over the pictures as they are updated with no clue which one we are getting?? Have I entered the twilight zone??

Although this approach at first seems ridiculous, it quickly became clear that there was a method to the perceived madness…temperament testing and family matching.

All I can say is that Sherry indeed has the magical touch when matching puppies to families. Fenway was not initially my pick of the litter, but she is 100% the dog for our family and only Sherry with her years of experience knew this. We have kept in touch with the other families in our litter and I can confidently report that each pup is indeed the best match for each family! Crazy, right?

Fenway was 2.4 lbs. when she came home at eight weeks. Right from the beginning she was a positive bundle of energy. She loved her crate, was not much of a nipper, and potty trained within a week. She is the social butterfly of any group and makes friends with all dogs. Her boyfriend at school is a three-year-old German shepherd. She is confident, cuddly, super intelligent and obsessed with balls and toys. She is ok with the water but it’s certainly not her first choice. She also works with me as a volunteer therapy dog through the Burlington Humane Society. Her disposition of being social and confident lends her well for this important position.

We are so in love with Fenway and Sherry’s dedication that we took the plunge and became a double doodle family not long ago. Fenway now has a SwissRidge brother, Indy, who is a SwissRidge Doodle.” ~Andrea Paquette

Finn (Parents: Maggie x Dizzy)
Owners: The Boones
St. Petersburg, FL

“Well, Finn is just over a year old and what a year it has been! You were absolutely correct in your book about all of the puppy phases and attention a puppy needs – I referred to it often. But, the time and dedication certainly paid off and we couldn’t be happier! Finn is a great dog – happy, curious, funny, sweet – all of the attributes we wanted! We love watching him learn and grow. As he has matured he has just become more and more loving – he can’t wait to be invited into my lap so he can lie on his back and have his belly rubbed! He has also settled nicely with his buddy, Slick (our Jack Russell and Finn’s mentor), and they are partners – especially when it comes to lizard hunting in the yard!

Finn is our boat dog and his favorite place is out on the dock with my husband or even better, in the boat fishing. He enjoys the breeze when we are up and running and is right there when we catch a fish! He also loves the swimming pool (a little too much at times) and does a full-on run/jump into the water when we are swimming. He can launch about halfway across! When he’s not flying into the water, he seems to really enjoy cooling off and floating. It’s so funny – he puts his two front paws on the step and just floats his back legs (see below)!

Finn is REALLY good with our granddaughters (3 & 10). He is particularly fond of the 3 year old and she loves walking him on his leash around the backyard. She can tell him to sit and stay and he will do it! It is so cute to watch their friendship and innocence.

We still use the crate if we are going to be out (don’t quite trust him 100% yet), but I work from home and he is out all day with me. We leave the crate door open at night, but he prefers to sleep with his pack in bed! He just wants to be touching us somewhere! We LOVE Finn! Thank you for your excellence in breeding such a fantastic pup!” ~Teresa Boone

Harley (Parents: Harley x Dizzy)
Owners: The Solomons
Scarsdale, NY

“Harley is the absolute sweetest, happiest, most delicious Tiny Bernedoodle! She weighs 8.5 lbs. and is just over two years old but has a personality larger than life. She’s smart, playful and obedient. Harley gets along incredibly well with other dogs. She’s so well socialized. She lights up our life on a daily basis. I can’t wait to eventually get another puppy from Sherry. There isn’t anything we’d do differently. Our experience with Sherry was and is amazing.” ~Abbey Solomon

If you would like to contact Abbey for more information about Harley, her email address is abbeylsolomon@me.com.

Bo (Parents: Kia x Crumpet)
Owners: Aryne Fuller and John Tavares
Mississauga, ON

“We own a tiny Bernedoodle we have named Bo! Bo was a surprise birthday present a year ago and he was by far the best birthday present I could have ever received. Bo has a huge personality for a little 10 lb. body – he’s energetic, fun, and affectionate! He absolutely loves people, especially kids, but also loves every dog he sees. He loves walks and runs and hates being wet. Bo is also a great travel companion on airplanes with no issues at all. Bo completes our family for now but we definitely want a second doodle down the road and would choose none other than a SwissRidge. Sherry is one of the most calm, helpful and smart people I know, which was extremely helpful for me as a first time dog owner. The first few months of Bo’s life were a bit stressful. Around 6 months old, Bo developed a prolapsed urethra and required surgery to fix the problem. Throughout the whole process, Sherry stayed very involved and wanted to help in any way. This is very telling of her character; I don’t think many dog breeders would have helped once the pup was transferred to the new owner. Bo fills our hearts with his goofy personality and I wouldn’t change it for the world.” ~Aryne Fuller